Working Well Resources' Blog

By Sue Shekut, Owner, Working Well Massage, Licensed Massage Therapist, Certified Wellness Coach, ACSM Personal Trainer

People say they want to restrict fat or they want to eat less fat. But fat is a necessary part of your daily diet. So how much should you eat? And how do you keep track of how much fat to eat?

First off, let’s think about why we need fat. The body uses fat as its major source of energy storage– when the energy you eat and/or drink can’t be used, your body turns some of it into fat for later use. Despite its negative associations, fat is essential, as it cushions organs and bones, makes horomones, regulates blood pressure and maintains healthy skin, hair and nails.

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In general, though, people in the United States eat way too much of it. Katherine Zeratsky, R.D., L.D.,  a Mayo Clinic nutritionist, offers great advice on how to monitor your fat intake:

“Health experts at the Institute of Medicine recommend that healthy adults get 20 to 35 percent of their total calories from fat. Each gram of fat has 9 calories. So, if you’re trying to eat 1,800 calories a day, you should have no more than 70 grams of fat a day — 35 percent of 1,800 calories = 630 calories, divided by 9 (calories per gram of fat) = 70 grams.

Food labels also list calories and calories from fat per serving. So if a food label says 250 calories and 110 fat calories, it means that almost half the food’s calories come from fat. That’s not necessarily a reason to avoid that food, though. For example, 55 percent of the calories in part-skim mozzarella cheese come from fat, but a 1-ounce serving (28.47 grams) has just 4 grams of fat and 72 total calories.

The percentages you see on food labels are designed to show how much of a specific nutrient a food contains compared with the Daily Value (DV). The DV is based on a 2,000-calorie diet. So, for example, if the label lists 18 percent next to fat it means that the food provides 18 percent of the suggested daily total for fat. You may be eating more or less than 2,000 calories a day, but this percentage can still help you choose foods that are lower in fat.”

So don’t be afraid to eat fat. Just be careful how much you eat and of course, exercise and eat your veggies too!

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